Kerry praises Lanka government progress in peace process

Colombo: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday praised the "openness" of the new Sri Lankan government in its efforts to boost democracy, human rights and ensure reconciliation with the country's minority Tamils.

Kerry was addressing the media following a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera after the top US diplomat landed here on Saturday on a two-day trip.

"One thing which struck me was the readiness of this government to open its doors, to open its minds to different ideas," he said hailing "the enormous progress Sri Lanka has made in just a few months".

You were working on creating an enduring peace and you were working on providing prosperity for all of your people, Kerry lauded praising the new government for reaching out to the Tamilminority after the end of the three-decade civil war that killed over 100,000 people.

Kerry added both Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are not afraid of tackling tough issues.

"They are willing to make difficult decisions and they are committed to keeping their promises," Kerry cited.

It was a reference to the human rights accountability and reconciliation areas in which the Sri Lankan government is expected to show results.

The US-led resolutions in the UNHRC mandated an international probe but Colombo has opted for a domestic mechanism.